Clear Springs: A Family Story

Paperback | April 26, 2000

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People love and remember the novels of Bobbie Ann Mason because they ring so true. This dazzling memoir saga of three generations, their aspirations, their conflicts, and the ties that bound them to one another. Spanning decades, Clear Springs gracefully weaves together the stories of Mason's grandparents, parents, and her won generation. The narrative moves from the sober industriousness of a Kentucky farm to the hippie lifestyle of the countercultural 1960s; from a New York fan magazine to the shock-therapy ward of a mental institution; from a county poorhouse to the set of a Hollywood movie; from a small rustic schoolhouse to glittering pop music concerts. In the process of recounting her own odyssey--the story of a misfit girl who dreamed of distant places--Mason depicts the changes that have come to family, to women, and to heartland America in the twentieth century. Ultimately, Clear Springs is a heartfelt portrait of an extended family, and a profound affirmation of the importance of family love.

About The Author

"Among the many strengths of Mason's memoir is its careful subtlety. Master writer that she is, Mason doesn't overplay her transformation, and that's why we feels its effects so strongly." (San Francisco Examiner)

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From Our Editors

Bobbie Ann Mason gives readers an inside look at her family history — three generations of women brought up in a country culture deeply rooted with strong values. The memoir Clear Springs takes readers on a voyage into Mason’s childhood growing up on a rural farm near Clear Springs, Ky. It tells the touching story of her journey away from, and back to, her roots. In a culture that believes in hard work, common sense and working the land, Mason left for New York in the 1960s, but later returned to celebrate her distinctive heritage and her family’s respected traditions.

Editorial Reviews

"While exploring her past, Mason might not have intended to write a memoir for America. But she has, and brilliantly so." -- "Associated Press""Plain-spoken, thoughtful, sometimes humorous, but never cloying, Mason's recollections of growing up in the country, striking out for the wider world in the 1960s, and then spiraling back toward her roots, are sure to resonatewith a wide audience." -- "Los Angeles Times""Fiction writer Bobbie Ann Mason's memoir tells the powerful story of the true country people of Clear Spring, Ky. . . .The book is a model of memoir and family history as Mason moves easily from her childhood back to herparents' early lives, and beyond."-- "Chicago Tribune""There is a sense of joyous purity to this book. The author is so obviously enraptured by her discoveries of the past.... Among the most amazing passages is her recreation of the possible thoughts of her paternal grandmother, a woman she had loved dearly but about whose youth and earlylife she knew little.... This book is her paean, her song of joy."-- "Knoxville News-Sentinel""Among the many strengths of Mason's memoir is its careful subtlety. Master writer that she is, Mason doesn't overplay her transformation, and that's why we feels its effects so strongly." -- "San Francisco Examiner"